In 1984, I was 13 years old.
Rithy Sen is a very big camp compared to Ampil. There are a lot of markets in the camp while there is none in Ampil. People go to buy merchandises from Thai border in the morning and sell them in the camp. The camp receives a lot of civilians who fled Cambodia because of starvation, oppression of the Vietnamese army, ... Some come to the camp to seek for freedom, some to do business, some to find way to go to live in a 3rd country (USA, Europe, Canada, Australia, ...). Ampil Camp is mainly military. It is the headquarter of KPNLF resistance movement led by Mr. Son Sann.
After a week or two in Rithy Sen, my life get again bored. I can't play football nor study. I decided to go to buy ice-creams from the Thai border and sell them in the camp. After two days, I know that this work is not for me.
After about a month with my family in Rithy Sen camp, I learn that all people in Site 1 camp will be moved back to Ampil camp. Schools will be reopened as well. I was happy to get these news. At the same time, I was afraid to loose the school starts.
I contacted friends who came from Ampil and we decided to go back to Ampil as soon as possible. My family was concerned of the security on the road back to Ampil but it was no question for me to stay in Rithy Sen. I have to go back to Ampil to study and find my "previous" life.
Knowing that the trip back to Ampil will take a long day walk, I leave Rithy Sen very early in the morning (4 or 5 o'clock -- I don't remember the exact date) with Hok, Vansak and Sophea (Ko-lot). I bring all my precious belongings: 1-2 t-shirts, 1-2 pants, 1 boxer shorts, 1 kramar (Khmer towel), toothbrush, toothpaste and some notebooks. All these things are packed in the backpack made of the rice bag.
Two videos of the Khmer Non-Communist Resistance (KPNLF and FUNCINPEC) at the border: the path we took is the similiar to the ones took by the soldiers.
After about 1 hour walk from Rithy Sen, we arrive at the edge of the Khmer Rouge camp Phnom Chatt. We are happy to see KPNLF soldiers who go back to Ampil camp also. They are negociating the right to cross the Khmer Rouge camp with their arms. Our happiness was short as those soldiers don't want us to join them. We sit far behind them along the small path and wait for the result of the negociation. After a while, a Khmer Rouge soldier shoot his deactivated RPG B-40 rocket. It makes a frighening noise and a lot of smoke in the forest around. We think that the fightings between Khmer Rouge soldiers and KPNLF soldiers take place. People lay down on the soil. After one or two minutes, we learn that the Khmer Rouge soldiers "tell" (they talk with their weapons) the KPNLF soldiers to move back far from them. Only one or two top KPNLF soldiers are allowed to come and discuss with them.
A video of RPG B-40 (it becomes a tourist attraction now apparently)
We sit down far from KPNLF troops and wait for about one hour. We don't know what to do as we know that if the negociation get successed, we will not allow to follow KPNLF soliders. We just sit and observe what happen...
A miracle happens.... after some times more waiting, a Khmer Rouge soldier arrives I don't know from where... He crosses us 4 far from the others and ask something like : "Young brothers where do you go?". We are happy that someone talks to us and reply: we go to Ampil camp. He said: come with me. We look at each other and follow him (at the same time we are frigthened because we don't know really his intention... Will he kill us in the forest?). It was about 10 /11 o'clock in the morning.
We walk cross the FLNPK soldiers and the Khmer Rouge check-point. KPNLF soldiers look at us and wonder why we can go and they cannot. I think they feel humiliated while we feel happy....
We follow the Khmer rouge soldier without saying anything. We talk to him only when he asks as we are afraid of him. We don't want to make him unhappy with us. He walks very very fast (as soldier he used to walk everyday since his young life). Sometimes, we have to run to join him. He sees us running behind him and smiles. He said sorry, you have to tell me when I walk too fast. We continue walking... tired but we have to continue. We want to make a break but we can't... Sophea starts to have some difficulties to walk; his thighs start to burn because of friction. Hok helps to keep him walking...
During the walk, the soldier asks us what we go to do in Ampil? Knowing that they don't like students and intellectuals, we lie him that we study to become nurses because we want to help Khmer people and serve the nation. He said that is great and encourage us to study. He said that he regrets that he can't study since he was small due to the bad situations in Cambodia. He looks really sincere and wants to help us.
We meet from time to time others Khmer Rouge soldiers on patrol or sleep in their hammock along the road in the forest. The soldier with us just tell them that he goes back to his base and they allow us to continue our road. These soldiers seem to respect him. This mean that the soldier is a high ranking man but it is strange that he walks alone in such a long trip. The soldier is about 35 years old I think.
Sophea get really difficulties to walk. I think we made just a short stop to drink.
We continue our walk. We arrive at the Khmer Rouge soldier's base late in the evening ( around 5 o'clock). It starts to be dark. The soldier wanted us to stay with him the night as he said you can't continue your road because of mines. He meets some other Khmer Rouge soldiers and talk about us. He have a hard discussion with one soldier. They go to discuss a bit far from us. He come back and tell us that we can't stay with him otherwise we will get killed in the night.
Mines field....
He explains us how to go to Ampil camp. There is only one path to go there and in the evening soldiers put mines to prevent Vietnamese soldiers from crossing to the camp. He said you have to stay in the path because mines are everywhere else....
He brings us to the beginning of the path and say good luck. We thank him very much for his kindness. We tell him that we hope he will not get troubled with other soldiers because of us. He said don't worry my young brothers. Go and good luck!
It was about 6 o'clock in the evening. It was very very dark. We can't see each other more than a few meters. We look at each others and discuss what to do.... The conclusion is that we can't stay where we are as we will get killed anyway. So we have no choice; if we walk we have a small chance to stay in live and a big chance to walk on a mine or to meet KR, FLNPK or Vietnamese soldiers who will certainly shoot us.
Hok courageously proposes that he walks the first and the other follows. He moves slowly his feets. We follow strictly his traces. Some minutes later, we see nothing because of the darkness and decide to walk normally... We cross the mines field without accident and we don't cross any soldiers. Thanks god!
We arrive at around 8 or 9 o'clock in the night in Ampil camp, precisely in the Battillion 212 zone. We meet no soldier. We keep walking.... Suddenly we heard some gunshots over our head. We continue walking. We heard the shouts approaching us and then a gunshot again. A soldier approaching us and asks why we don't stop walking. We say sorry to him and tell that we don't hear. We explain him who we are and what we are doing. He allows us to continue our road.
We arrive at the level of our school late in the night but it is closed. It is very dark. There is no one in the street. We walk knowing nowhere to go for the night. Suddenly we see a shadow of a man approaching us. He asks us where we come from and where we go. We explain him and he tells us that it is prohibited to walk in the night. He tells us that he is EOA (élève officier actif -- military students). He brings us to a hut to stay for the night. He asks whether we have eaten. We tell him no. He find us something to eat.
After a nice sleep, we leave for Site 1 camp....
Rithy Sen is a very big camp compared to Ampil. There are a lot of markets in the camp while there is none in Ampil. People go to buy merchandises from Thai border in the morning and sell them in the camp. The camp receives a lot of civilians who fled Cambodia because of starvation, oppression of the Vietnamese army, ... Some come to the camp to seek for freedom, some to do business, some to find way to go to live in a 3rd country (USA, Europe, Canada, Australia, ...). Ampil Camp is mainly military. It is the headquarter of KPNLF resistance movement led by Mr. Son Sann.
After a week or two in Rithy Sen, my life get again bored. I can't play football nor study. I decided to go to buy ice-creams from the Thai border and sell them in the camp. After two days, I know that this work is not for me.
After about a month with my family in Rithy Sen camp, I learn that all people in Site 1 camp will be moved back to Ampil camp. Schools will be reopened as well. I was happy to get these news. At the same time, I was afraid to loose the school starts.
I contacted friends who came from Ampil and we decided to go back to Ampil as soon as possible. My family was concerned of the security on the road back to Ampil but it was no question for me to stay in Rithy Sen. I have to go back to Ampil to study and find my "previous" life.
Knowing that the trip back to Ampil will take a long day walk, I leave Rithy Sen very early in the morning (4 or 5 o'clock -- I don't remember the exact date) with Hok, Vansak and Sophea (Ko-lot). I bring all my precious belongings: 1-2 t-shirts, 1-2 pants, 1 boxer shorts, 1 kramar (Khmer towel), toothbrush, toothpaste and some notebooks. All these things are packed in the backpack made of the rice bag.
Two videos of the Khmer Non-Communist Resistance (KPNLF and FUNCINPEC) at the border: the path we took is the similiar to the ones took by the soldiers.
After about 1 hour walk from Rithy Sen, we arrive at the edge of the Khmer Rouge camp Phnom Chatt. We are happy to see KPNLF soldiers who go back to Ampil camp also. They are negociating the right to cross the Khmer Rouge camp with their arms. Our happiness was short as those soldiers don't want us to join them. We sit far behind them along the small path and wait for the result of the negociation. After a while, a Khmer Rouge soldier shoot his deactivated RPG B-40 rocket. It makes a frighening noise and a lot of smoke in the forest around. We think that the fightings between Khmer Rouge soldiers and KPNLF soldiers take place. People lay down on the soil. After one or two minutes, we learn that the Khmer Rouge soldiers "tell" (they talk with their weapons) the KPNLF soldiers to move back far from them. Only one or two top KPNLF soldiers are allowed to come and discuss with them.
A video of RPG B-40 (it becomes a tourist attraction now apparently)
We sit down far from KPNLF troops and wait for about one hour. We don't know what to do as we know that if the negociation get successed, we will not allow to follow KPNLF soliders. We just sit and observe what happen...
A miracle happens.... after some times more waiting, a Khmer Rouge soldier arrives I don't know from where... He crosses us 4 far from the others and ask something like : "Young brothers where do you go?". We are happy that someone talks to us and reply: we go to Ampil camp. He said: come with me. We look at each other and follow him (at the same time we are frigthened because we don't know really his intention... Will he kill us in the forest?). It was about 10 /11 o'clock in the morning.
We walk cross the FLNPK soldiers and the Khmer Rouge check-point. KPNLF soldiers look at us and wonder why we can go and they cannot. I think they feel humiliated while we feel happy....
We follow the Khmer rouge soldier without saying anything. We talk to him only when he asks as we are afraid of him. We don't want to make him unhappy with us. He walks very very fast (as soldier he used to walk everyday since his young life). Sometimes, we have to run to join him. He sees us running behind him and smiles. He said sorry, you have to tell me when I walk too fast. We continue walking... tired but we have to continue. We want to make a break but we can't... Sophea starts to have some difficulties to walk; his thighs start to burn because of friction. Hok helps to keep him walking...
During the walk, the soldier asks us what we go to do in Ampil? Knowing that they don't like students and intellectuals, we lie him that we study to become nurses because we want to help Khmer people and serve the nation. He said that is great and encourage us to study. He said that he regrets that he can't study since he was small due to the bad situations in Cambodia. He looks really sincere and wants to help us.
We meet from time to time others Khmer Rouge soldiers on patrol or sleep in their hammock along the road in the forest. The soldier with us just tell them that he goes back to his base and they allow us to continue our road. These soldiers seem to respect him. This mean that the soldier is a high ranking man but it is strange that he walks alone in such a long trip. The soldier is about 35 years old I think.
Sophea get really difficulties to walk. I think we made just a short stop to drink.
We continue our walk. We arrive at the Khmer Rouge soldier's base late in the evening ( around 5 o'clock). It starts to be dark. The soldier wanted us to stay with him the night as he said you can't continue your road because of mines. He meets some other Khmer Rouge soldiers and talk about us. He have a hard discussion with one soldier. They go to discuss a bit far from us. He come back and tell us that we can't stay with him otherwise we will get killed in the night.
Mines field....
He explains us how to go to Ampil camp. There is only one path to go there and in the evening soldiers put mines to prevent Vietnamese soldiers from crossing to the camp. He said you have to stay in the path because mines are everywhere else....
He brings us to the beginning of the path and say good luck. We thank him very much for his kindness. We tell him that we hope he will not get troubled with other soldiers because of us. He said don't worry my young brothers. Go and good luck!
It was about 6 o'clock in the evening. It was very very dark. We can't see each other more than a few meters. We look at each others and discuss what to do.... The conclusion is that we can't stay where we are as we will get killed anyway. So we have no choice; if we walk we have a small chance to stay in live and a big chance to walk on a mine or to meet KR, FLNPK or Vietnamese soldiers who will certainly shoot us.
Hok courageously proposes that he walks the first and the other follows. He moves slowly his feets. We follow strictly his traces. Some minutes later, we see nothing because of the darkness and decide to walk normally... We cross the mines field without accident and we don't cross any soldiers. Thanks god!
We arrive at around 8 or 9 o'clock in the night in Ampil camp, precisely in the Battillion 212 zone. We meet no soldier. We keep walking.... Suddenly we heard some gunshots over our head. We continue walking. We heard the shouts approaching us and then a gunshot again. A soldier approaching us and asks why we don't stop walking. We say sorry to him and tell that we don't hear. We explain him who we are and what we are doing. He allows us to continue our road.
We arrive at the level of our school late in the night but it is closed. It is very dark. There is no one in the street. We walk knowing nowhere to go for the night. Suddenly we see a shadow of a man approaching us. He asks us where we come from and where we go. We explain him and he tells us that it is prohibited to walk in the night. He tells us that he is EOA (élève officier actif -- military students). He brings us to a hut to stay for the night. He asks whether we have eaten. We tell him no. He find us something to eat.
After a nice sleep, we leave for Site 1 camp....
1 comment:
Salut Sakun,
Je peux te compléter de l’histoire de voyage de Site 1 à Rithysen et de Rithysen à Site1.
J’ai toujours cette image comme c’est hier.
1 / De Site 1 à Rithysen Thmey:
Nous étions 5 pour faire des voyages. Ton père, son ami « A » (le petit frère de M. Chum Cheang, le chef du camp de Dang Rek), son ami ou de ta famille « B » (un militaire de Rithysen) toi et moi même.
A l’époque, mon grand oncle de Ampil a demandé à M. « B » pour que je puisse faire des voyages avec vous car un ami de mon oncle a fait un école officier ‘Compagnie avec M. « B ».
Les voyages se faisaient en vélos et à pieds. Il y a eu 2 vélos, Ce de ton père et de son ami M. « A ». Tu as monté sur le vélo de ton père et je suis monté sur le vélo de M. « A ».
Avant le voyage, nous avons passé toute la journée à Ampil zone 212. Je ne me souviens plus pourquoi.
Nous avons arrivé à Rithysen Thmey vers 17 heures. Je me souviens de la joie de mon père quand il m’a revu.
M. « A » m’a emmené directement chez mes parents. Mon père a donné 200 baths à M. « A » pour le remerciement.
2 / De Rithysen Thmey à Site1.
Nous étions 5, Hok, Rath Sophea, toi, Adin ? et moi-même. Je ne me souviens pas de Adin, mais il y a eu la 5ème personne.
Nous avons fixé le RDV vers 5 heures du matin à la frontière entre Rithysen et le camp de Khmer rouge. Je n’avait même pas lavé mon visage et ni brosser les dents.
Nous étions en tout environ trentain de personne pour le voyage y compris les militaires.
Tous les civils ont pensé de suivre les militaires de Ampil.
Le chef de ces militaires, c’est le grand frère de ACHAIGNE. Il est Chinois d’origine mais il est très courageux face aux militaires khmers rouges.
Les khmers rouges nous ont bloqué jusqu’à 11 heures 30 avant de nous laisser passer. Certains voyageurs ont repris le chemin au retour à Rithysen en pensant que les khmers rouges ne laissent pas passer.
En passant nous étions invité au repas avec les khmers rouges. Le repas était très maigre. Ils ont fait une sorte de soupe au légume avec une grenouille.
Je pense que cette invitation était par la politesse, mais nous avons pris au sérieux.
Un khmer rouge nous a proposé un service de nous accompagner. Il a un vélo made in china pneu crevé dans la main. Il est venu de la visite de sa femme à Rithysen. Nous avons lui donné 20 baths pour le service.
Tout au long de voyage, il a raconté à tous les khmers rouges que nous sommes des étudiants à Beng Ampil. Et nous voulons retourner chez nous.
Pendant le voyage les khmers rouges ne nous arrêtent pas de fouiller nos sacs à dos. Ils veulent de l’argent. Mais ils ont rien eu.
Le plus terrible pendant le voyage, c’est quand nous avons arrivé à la frontière khmère rouge et Ampil. Notre guide nous a laissé. J’ai trouvé qu’il était très sympathique. Il nous a beaucoup aidé pendant que ses camarades sont en train de fouiller nos sacs, malgré qu’il nous dénonce sans fin que nous sommes étudiants.
Nous arrivé vers 18 heures dans la ligne de limitation entre la zone 212 et le khmer rouge. Il y avait des dessins têtes de mort, des croix.. sur le sol. Nous avons eu très peur de mine. Hok a montré son courageux, il a marché devant nous et suivi par Sophea, la troisième était soit Adin ou soit toi (à confirmer), et moi même. Pendant le voyage, Sophea était le plus fatigué. Il était tous jours le dernier. Ses cuisses ont blessés par des frottements entre cuisses.
Du coup il y a un con militaire de 212 (il avait environ 22 ans) nous a crié de loin. Nous avons rien compris ce qu’il a voulu. Nous avons continué toujours nos marches très lentement par la fatigue.
Il nous a rapproché et nous a gueulé comme un fou. Il a dit qu’il nous a demandé d’arrêter. En tout cas il veut de l’argent. Il n’a rien eu. Nous avons arrivé devant l’école EOA vers 20 heures.
Un gentil élève officier qui vient de sortir de sa douche (ton future Bong Thor) nous approché. Nous avons discuté un peu de nos voyages. Il nous a proposé d’aller dans un coin dans son école et nous a emmené une casserole, du riz et quelques boites de sardines. Nous avons préparé nos repas. A ce moment là, l’élève officier t’a demandé d’être son Phon thor. Nous avons passé la nuit dans ce coin.
Le lendemain, nous avons pris nos chemins pour Site 1.
Phala
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